When the Guardian Stayed

Chapter One

Cloudy got another lunch pack together for the hungry crowd. “More shredded akko?” She looked out at the colourful men and women with stripes and spots on their skin and fins or scales in lieu of hair. The female waiting for the pack nodded. “Tal.”

Cloudy handed the pack over and set up the next four for a single order.

Food service was always an option, and her unremarkable results had given her menial tasks as her choices.

So she was here, at a port, serving lunches and early dinners to the folk who worked next to and under the nearby ocean.

The dock workers were friendly and treated her like a little sibling for the most part. She was a lot less bulky than the Vecchin were.

One of her regulars asked, “What do you spend all your funds on, Cloudy?”

“Blending in, Sorcan. How do I look?”

“Less like a corpse from the water four days dead.”

She boxed up the four meals. “Flatterer.”

She held it out to him, and he nodded and took the boxes with a grin.

The next order was up on her screen, and she got to work on it. Cloudy got up at four and went to bed around seven. It wasn’t the worst life and had familiar echoes of her time on Earth.

Life on Siloven had a predictable pattern. There were tides, loading, unloading, festivals every two months, and days off spent with friends and family.

Cloudy had shocked her family by opting for the alterations that would make her time on a world filled with water breathers a bit easier. So far, her skin was dark green and silver, and she had gills installed, but they hadn’t been tested in open water. That was scheduled for next week.

She had done her time and achieved citizenship, and now, she was free and clear, working for the food outlet on the docks.

Her family had gotten the bond payout and were now just waiting to churn through bureaucracy for their own citizenship.

Cloudy had gotten in because one of the local lawmakers was a regular breakfast and lunch visitor to her stall.

When the lunch rush eased, she looked at Emgoth. “So that is getting easier.”

“Cloudy, without you, I would push this stall into the bay.”

“Aw. Sweet. How are supplies for the afternoon shift?”

He checked the cuts of meat and fish. “We are good, but I will take some out of the freezer and put them in the fridge for tomorrow morning.”

“Good. I will clean up, and we will be ready for the afternoon rush.”

“Once the meat is set, I am going to go and get some more produce. We need more of the akko.”

“Sure. You go. I will hold down the fort.”

He chuckled and left. She spoke Vecchin fairly well, and Vecchin manual for the deep-sea Vecchin who stopped by for a snack.

She kept cleaning until there was a gentle tap on the order section of the stall. She smiled and went over, waving and speaking with mouth and hands. “Hello, what are you in the mood for, Guardians?”

The most surreal part of living on another world was the appearance of guardians. Superheroes who were usually related to the Hmrain who owned the world acted in a public service capacity to keep their people safe.

The Vecchin guardian asked, “What is your species?”

“Terran. Human.”

He jolted. “You don’t look human.”

“I am aware. I put funds into changing my appearance so that I would get less commentary from the local population.” Her words and hands kept pace. She felt a contact on her mind, and her shield slammed up and sent him staggering backward.

The guys with him looked up. “What did you do?”

“He touched my mind; I slapped his face, so to speak. I do the same thing if someone contacts me physically. Now, are you interested in food? My grill man just left, but I can manage whatever you would like.”

The guardians grinned and placed their orders. The one who had tried mental contact ordered sheepishly. She typed in the order and said, “Guardians eat free.”

They frowned. “We can’t.”

She unhooked the plaque in front of the register, and she turned it to the guardians. “By order of Vecchin. We are the first food when you arrive off the water, and if you make it to the port, you have been busy. The bill goes to the guardian centre if it becomes a nuisance.”

They grinned.

The one who had touched her mind said, “She’s right. This particular stall gets an allowance to cover any food we need.”

The second, who wore blue and crimson in his skin, grinned at her. “In that case, triple the order with extra akko.”

She laughed and nodded. She turned to the grill and put on the mix of meat and fish tossed with shredded vegetables. It was a weird stir-fry but incredibly popular.

She hummed, got the packs set up, and put the shredded vegetable, known as akko, into the containers with a drizzle of the sauce that kept the stall profitable. It was a lemony chilli mix that was like crack for the locals.

Cloudy finished the boxes, folded them with implements fastened to them, and said, “Anything to drink?”

It was polite, but most said no.

“Do you have any kio? We had a long night.”

She smiled and got the kio in thermal cups. They had taken the boxes to nearby tables, and she walked the drinks out to them. “Sing out if you need more. I am just going to be doing maintenance. I will need the distraction.”

They sat and started eating. When they got to the akko, they paused, and then the shredded veg disappeared in seconds.

She cleaned inside the stall and then went outside to collect garbage and sweep up.

The nosey guardian said, “What is that on your forehead?”

She paused. “You can see that?”

“Yes.”

“Bond lock. No one can change my bond without my permission, and if I am stolen, there is a bounty for my safe return. It was put on me when I got my citizenship.”

He blinked. “You are a Siloven citizen?”

“Yes. I gained it through active action. My family isn’t aware. They are still working toward their citizenship, and I don’t wish to irritate them. They are working hard.”

The guardians asked, “What do you put on this akko?”

“Just a simple citrus and spice. It mixes with the vegetable and produces a different taste entirely.” She smiled.

She swept up and got the area cleared for the afternoon rush.

Nosey said, “Are you here all day?”

“Yes. The stall is open from five to six. Emgoth does the grill, and I do the orders.”

The second speaker with the silver-and-green markings like hers said, “You don’t know who we are.”

“Nope. I know what you are, and that is all that matters.” She grinned. “You don’t know who I am either. All is fair.”

They laughed and kept eating. She returned to the stall, and Emgoth pulled up.

She went to help him get the akko out, along with the other vegetables.

Forty pounds in each load made her slow her step, but she put them into the stall on the counter and returned for more.

Emgoth walked in with twice the load, but her last haul from his vehicle was the last.

She spoke to Emgoth. “Nine meals comped for the guardian fund. Three large kios.”

He nodded. “Got it. Made a note. Have you talked to them?”

“Yes, that is how I took the order.”

He snorted. “So witty. I mean, aside from that.”

“A little. Why? They found it funny that I didn’t know them by name.”

“Are you serious? Where are you living that you don’t know our guardians?”

“Here. I spend days here and get one day off a week that I spend with my family.”

“You need to take an interest in local law enforcement.”

“I am not going to start screwing peacekeepers.”

Emgoth froze. “Have they been after you?”

“One or two. Their buddies usually talk them down.”

“Why are they after you?”

“Because, dumbass, I smell like I am in heat all the time, so the dry-land Vecchin find me fascinating.”

Emgoth blinked. “Oh. Right. I forgot about that.”

“Good. You should forget.”

“Only one of those guardians has Vecchin blood. The other two are off-worlders.”

She glanced back ostensibly to check their food progress, and they were done. “Right. They also eat fast. I am going to grab their empty packs, and we can get the prep done.”

“Well... go.” Emgoth laughed.

Cloudy went out and collected the empty packs from under the three. “Anything else? Now that Emgoth is back, he does a nice shaved iced fruit.”

The nosey one said, “You can’t?”

“I had quite the medic bill the first time, so I am not allowed near the spinning blades anymore. Emgoth is both bigger and stronger than I am. He can do it without four days of recovery.”

They looked concerned.

“Oh, wow. Those are faces. I am fine, and I learned a lesson about hopping while hanging onto the handle.” She grinned as she got ready to walk away. “So, ice?”

Three hands went up in the air, and Emgoth had been watching, so he nodded and got the frozen fruit out and put it on the shaver. She got the sweet sauce and drizzled it on each of the ices, put small paddles in, and then brought them out on a tray. “There you go.”

They dove into it happily, and she returned to the stall, continuing the prep for the last rush of the day. Shift change.

When she looked outside, the guardians were gone. She smiled, went to put the cups in the trash, and blinked when a com code was sitting written on one of the flat scoops. She wasn’t going to use it, but she put it in her pocket to keep it from the next rush. It was sitting where nosey had sat.

Cleanup and prep continued, and she and Emgoth got into their rhythm.

He loved being able to make enough to get to his family at a time early enough that he could help his adult kids with homework and still have enough money to take a day off now and then.

She could run the stall; she just needed some muscle to make the ices.

They got ready, and when the local businesses opened up and staff who had delayed their lunches made a straight line for the stall, they got to work.

* * * *

Hazor muttered, “I am going to have to call my uncle about his Terran. My new aunt sounds very different from the woman I met today.”

“They are a species, not clones, Haz. You and your sister are different. Mekked and your mother are different.” Arkon smiled. “I am different than all the people on my world. Extend the server today the same courtesy.”

Morsek grinned. “So what are the odds of bringing the skimmer into that port again? That food was good.”

Hazor snorted.

Arkon grinned. “That means as soon as he can work logic that gets past his mother.”

Hazor snorted and looked toward the enormous manor on the hill where his parents lived. “I am going to call my sister. She knows about my new aunt.”

The other two chuckled. He muttered, “We have more Terrans on Siloven than they do. If she has any tips, it will help when we deal with their population.”

“Uh-huh,” Morsek smirked. “Just the tip. If you are discouraged, I am interested as well. She’s industrious and smells delightful.”

Hazor grunted and headed to the com room. He called his sister.

Hazda appeared with a smile. “Hey, Hazor. Nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you as well, Hazda. How is life with Uncle?”

“He and his mate are adorable, and Grandma and Grandpa are frequent visitors. The baby is so sweet.”

Hazor paused.

“What is it?”

“What do you know about Terrans?”

Hazda leaned forward. “You met one?”

“There are several on Siloven, but yes, I met one.”

Hazda smiled. “Was she cute? Misty is very pale. Is she pale?”

“No, she has deep-sea Vecchin colouring. She said she got it to help her blend in.”

“Oh, that is clever. I know Mekked won’t go for it, but it is very clever.”

“But she works in a food kiosk.”

“Does she appear happy? Respected? Engaged?”

“Yes.”

“Then, she didn’t need to work further. She found a place she fit and stepped into it.

” Hazda smiled. “I have looked them up. Several of them do that. Their last years were stuck in survival mode, and they wanted to support themselves with minimal effort. They come around eventually and start pursuing education and citizenship.”

“She’s already a citizen. And bond locked.”

Hazda made a soft sound. “So she’s used to taking care of herself. What path to citizenship?”

“Active action. I haven’t looked it up yet.”

“I would recommend it. Mother doesn’t give citizenship lightly.”

“You are very smart.”

Hazda grinned. “So what’s she like?”

“She has an easy smile, is not easily intimidated, and is a really good cook.” He chuckled. “And she’s too light to use an ice shaver.”

His sister smiled. “That is some niche information.”

“Oh, and she speaks Vecchin manual.”

“That is interesting. She has designed herself to blend in.”

“Yes. And she has family on Siloven. She likes them.”

“Well, that is a refreshing change.”

He went to the immigration logs and looked for Terrans. There it was. Based on the age, her name was Cloudy.

He looked up Cloudy and found the citizenship grant. “Hell. She ran into a burning clinic and rescued four long-term patients who were not ambulatory. She rigged a gurney and had them all link arms and sit together while she pushed them out to safety.”

Hazda smiled. “It takes the recommendation of four citizens for citizenship.”

“Yes, it was their families. She actually had ten people recommend her. Two of the patients had children who were council members. Mom didn’t stand a chance.”

Hazda grinned. “So she can earn trust.”

“And loyalty. Before we went for lunch, we looked at a few places, and that food stand was busy right until the end of the lunches. They worked fast, too. She was by herself and managed to get us each three servings of sautéed meat and veg along with some of the best akko I have ever had.”

“You hate akko.”

“Not like this. They shred it super fine and put a dressing on it that is sour, sweet, and spicy.”

“That sounds good. Can you get the recipe? Kekkari can try it.”

“That would involve me going back.”

Hazda smiled. “Yes, I suppose it would.”

“It is a little far for a recipe. It’s on the Noringale continent.”

“That is a little out of the way.” Hazda nodded.

He grimaced. “Yes, it is. I get the feeling that her boss would riot if I just took her. Oh, and she has a serious mental shield. I touched her mind, and she closed it so hard, I stumbled back.”

Hazda grinned. “That is interesting. Misty had an open mind. It has been fixed, but the variety is interesting.”

“You are talking like Mom.”

“I know. They are just a new thing to research. Don’t get me wrong, I love Misty, but her people are interesting in their variety.”

“I am going to do some research.”

Hazda laughed. “That is how I know it’s serious. Good luck, brother. You may need it.”

He nodded and signed off. He hated homework.